# A Film Giant has passed on... Billy Barty exits stage left

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-film-giant-has-passed-on-billy-barty-exits-stage-left/47228>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 26, 2000, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-film-giant-has-passed-on-billy-barty-exits-stage-left/47228 "2000-12-26T11:53:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Uniball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Uniball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniball)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2000, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-film-giant-has-passed-on-billy-barty-exits-stage-left/47228/1 "2000-12-26T11:53:44Z")

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As seen on AICN:

> [@](#):
>
> On this Christmas Eve Father Geek brings you sad news, Billy Barty died on the 23rd of December out in his hometown of Los Angeles after appearing in motion pictures throughout 7 decades. A giant of the entertainment world at only 3’9” tall, Billy Barty looked up AT most of his fellow actors, but most of them looked up TO him. Billy Barty began performing at three, and began making motion pictures in 1927. He played Mickey Rooney’s little brother in the “Mickey McGuire” comedy shorts series. He appeared as a child actor in numerous classic films, including Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Nights’s Dream, Daddy Long Legs, Footlight Parade, Roman Scandals, and Golddiggers of 1933.  
> When his showbiz family decided to give lighthearted performing a rest during the World War II years, Barty enrolled in Los Angeles City College, where he majored in journalism. While at college he lettered in football, and played a little basketball, this in spite of his size.  
> In 1953, Barty joined the madcap bandleader Spike Jones and his City Slickers and spent eight years touring around the world with the popular band and comedy show. In 1957 he made the time to appear as an imp in the the horror thriller The Undead. In 1960, he returned to the U.S. to host Billy Barty’s Big Show, a syndicated TV show which ran coast to coast for four years. After that he appeared in a couple of Elvis flicks; Harum Scarum (1965) and Roustabout (1964). Children that came of age in the ‘70s should easily recognize him as “Sparky” on the kids TV show The Bugaloos, and he was a regular on several other children’s shows of the period too, including Sigmund and the Sea Monsters and H. R. Pufnstuf. He was equally adept in both comedy and drama, and generally gave an added zest to any production he was associated with. He made over a dozen movies during the 70’s in addition to his fulltime TV career.  
> He was 3 times nominated for a Golden Razzie Award. In 1982 he was nominated for the Razzie Award as Worst Supporting Actor for: Under the Rainbow (1981); in 1988 it was the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor for: Masters of the Universe (1987); and in 1989 he was honored again as Worst Supporting Actor for: Willow (1988). His over the top performances had caught the eye of the world and once again during this decade he would make over a dozen feature films.  
> When he was not acting, Barty was an energetic campaigner for the rights of “little people.” He founded the Little People of America in 1957, and the Billy Barty Foundation in 1975. He continued to work with rights groups and make films into the year 2000. We’ll all miss his Bigger than life personality and leadership.  
> In a recent interview in the Onion, Billy said, “One of the greatest entertainers, to me, is Mickey Rooney. He does comedy, he does musicals, he can direct, he can write, he can do a little bit of everything. Mickey and I were in movies together back to 1929. Mick always pulls this line, he says, “Billy and I almost grew up together.” Ba-da-bum!” For the entire interview Just Click Here.  
> Here’s some of Billy’s Films:  
> Extreme Adventures of Super Dave, The (2000) … Funeral Eulogist
> 
> I/O Error (1998) … Custodian
> 
> Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn, An (1997) … Himself
> 
> ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic: The Videos (1996) … Noodles MacIntosh (UHF)
> 
> Radioland Murders (1994) … Himself
> 
> Naked Truth, The (1992) … The Bell Boy
> 
> Life Stinks (1991) … Willy
> 
> Diggin’ Up Business (1990) … Crosby
> 
> Wishful Thinking (1990)
> 
> Rescuers Down Under, The (1990) (voice actor) … Bellmouse (At the Potcher’s Trap)
> 
> UHF (1989) … Noodles MacIntosh
> 
> Lobster Man from Mars (1989) … Mr. Throckmorton
> 
> Willow (1988) … High Aldwin
> 
> Body Slam (1987) … Tim McClusky
> 
> Cannon Movie Tales: Snow White (1987) … Iddy
> 
> Rumpelstiltskin (1987) … Rumpelstiltskin
> 
> Masters of the Universe (1987) … Gwildor
> 
> Off the Mark (1986) … The Little Russian
> 
> Tough Guys (1986) … Philly
> 
> Legend (1985) … Screwball
> 
> Night Patrol (1984) … Captain Lewis
> 
> Under the Rainbow (1981) … Otto Kriegling
> 
> Being Different (1981)
> 
> Hardly Working (1980) … Sammy
> 
> Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979) … Jimmy
> 
> Firepower (1979) … Dominic Carbone
> 
> Foul Play (1978) … J.J. MacKuen
> 
> Rabbit Test (1978) … Lester
> 
> Happy Hooker Goes to Washington, The (1977) … C.I.A. Agent
> 
> Amazing Dobermans, The (1976) … Samson
> 
> W.C. Fields and Me (1976) … Ludwig
> 
> Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) … Assistant Director )
> 
> Six-Pack Annie (1975)
> 
> Day of the Locust, The (1975) … Abe
> 
> Godmothers, The (1973) … The Shark
> 
> Pufnstuf (1970) … Googy Gopher
> 
> Harum Scarum (1965) … Baba
> 
> Roustabout (1964) … Billy the midget
> 
> Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962) … Joey
> 
> Undead, The (1957) … The Imp
> 
> Clown, The (1952) … Midget
> 
> Pygmy Island (1950) … Kimba
> 
> Nothing Sacred (1937) … Little Boy
> 
> Midsummer Night’s Dream, A (1935) … Mustard-Seed
> 
> Gift of Gab (1934) … Baby
> 
> Roman Scandals (1933) … Little Eddie
> 
> Alice in Wonderland (1933) … White Pawn/Baby
> 
> Footlight Parade (1933) … Mouse/Little Boy
> 
> Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) … “Pettin’ in the Park” Baby
> 
> Out All Night (1933) … Child
> 
> Goldie (1931) … Child
> 
> Daddy Long Legs (1931) … Orphan
> 
> Three Wise Clucks (1931)
> 
> Dog Doctor, The (1931)
> 
> Soup to Nuts (1930) … Baby
> 
> Wedded Blisters (1927)
> 
> Here’s just a few of his TV guest appearances:  
> “Krofft Supershow, The” (1976) TV Series … Hugo (in “Dr. Shrinker”) (1976-1977)
> 
> “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters” (1973) TV Series … Sigmund Ooze (1973-75)
> 
> H.R. Pufnstuf" (1969) TV Series … Clang
> 
> “Charlie’s Angels” (1976) in episode: “Angel on My Mind” (episode # 3.11) 11/22/1978
> 
> “Man from Atlantis, The” (1977) playing “Moxie” in episode: “Deadly Carnival” 1977
> 
> “Get Smart” (1965) playing “Maco” in episode: “Ironhand” (episode # 5.2) 10/3/1969
> 
> “Get Smart” (1965) playing “Gemini” in episode: “Hello Columbus, Goodbye America”
> 
> “Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The” (1962) playing “The Barker” in episode: “Jar, The” 1964

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2000, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-film-giant-has-passed-on-billy-barty-exits-stage-left/47228/2 "2000-12-26T14:19:05Z")

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:::dons black armband:::

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**Author:** ![coming\_up\_for\_air](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@coming\_up\_for\_air](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coming_up_for_air)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2000, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-film-giant-has-passed-on-billy-barty-exits-stage-left/47228/3 "2000-12-26T16:25:56Z")

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Too bad, all right. A funny guy.  
Was he also the little guy in The Harmonicats, Ed Sullivan act?

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2000, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-film-giant-has-passed-on-billy-barty-exits-stage-left/47228/4 "2000-12-26T16:34:46Z")

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I guess the [Billy Barty is Dead](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=52566) thread is also dead, so I’ll post here.

Barty was also a hobbit in Ralph Bakshi’s _Lord of the Rings_. The film was rotoscoped (i.e., the animation was “drawn over” actual footage of the actors) so you can tell it’s Billy Barty by his movements, in addition to his voice.